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| Apparently scarves are for serious actors |
So, going into this film, I had high expectations for her
performance, but I was pleasantly surprised by the acting of both the young man
who played her son (Tom Holland) and Ewan McGregor. And it got me thinking of how many times Ewan
has been overlooked as an actor. As I consider his
film career, he has continued to do interesting films and give solid
performances. It frustrates me that some
actors can give continually good performances, but for some odd reason, never
become award material (whatever that means).
Sadly, I wonder if it is impossible for Ewan to be nominated.
I decided to take a little jaunt down memory lane (thanks to
one of my favorite sites ever, internet movie database – imdb.com) and
recollect some of my favorite performances of his:
Trainspotting: I have to begin by stating that I have never
seen this film, but it feels like a crime to not mention it. Truly, this is the film that started Ewan’s
career.
Emma, Little Voice & Brassed Off: I group these films
together, because his performances weren’t award material necessarily, but
solidly acted in delightful little stories.
He hasn’t always picked the best films, but he has tended towards more
independent ones, and I respect that.
Star Wars, Episodes I-III: Now let me begin by stating how
frustrating these films were for me. I
have a tender place in my heart for Star Wars, growing up watching the original
trilogy. I was incredibly excited for
the prequels and waited in multitudes of lines on opening nights. Ugh. I
feel pretty safe in not having to explain my disappointment in these films, but
for me the glimmer of hope was Obi Wan. I’m convinced that George Lucas is a
better producer than director. There’s a
long running joke about Lucas’ direction style, revolving around the phrase,“faster
and with more intensity.” Basically,
that is the only direction he provides his actors. Empire Strikes Back, commonly seen as the
best of the films, was directed by Irvin Kershner. So, the fact that Ewan did even a decent job
in this film, to me, speaks to his skills as an actor. I mean yeesh, even Natalie Portman has gone
on to get an Oscar and she was very plastic and flat in the prequels (of which
I blame Lucas more than her).
Moulin Rouge –I realize Nicole Kidman was in the midst of a
divorce when this film came out, but I always thought that Ewan’s vocal
performance was much stronger and perhaps not quite as "produced". Apparently, Baz Luhrmann has a thing for
typewriters (see “The Great Gatsby”).
Big Fish – I’d forgotten about this film and it took my
glance through Ewan’s imdb page to remember.
Him and Albert Finney seamlessly portray the enigmatical, yet extremely
likable main character.
Beginners: Upon viewing this film, I was extremely
disappointed that Ewan’s performance was not recognized. All of the acting glory went to Christopher
Plummer, who was quite good, but it was Ewan’s performance that really
resonated with me. His deep sadness is evident, even without him saying a word.
The Impossible: I admired Ewan’s ability to waver between
falling apart and keeping it together.
This scene perfectly exemplifies this skill. He didn’t over emote, but his instability feels felt incredibly
relatable. I didn’t wonder why he was
feeling what he felt, but felt joined with him in his trauma.
I suppose musings like this make me wonder how many
wonderful performances are missed due to the business that is the film
industry. It’s a shame, but it is a
special moment when you come across these overlooked actors. I know I feel some sort of obligation when I
find an interesting performance, story, director. I have to let others know, lest they miss
out. So, here’s to finding the unseen
performances!
……….
Question for you, who are your favorite overlooked actors?
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